Golchen’s story is told through more than just dates: documentary records, the history of its church, places of remembrance and more recent woodland development give the village distinct historical layers. Golchen was first mentioned in a document in 1170 and is one of the oldest villages in the region. The church, with foundation walls dating from the 15th century, the Grüneberg Organ and the climate forest are further distinctive features. A stay here brings both the village’s history and its woodland development into focus.
Village History and Salt Production
The first documented mention in 1170 provides an early written reference point in Golchen’s history. Another historical trace leads to the Tollense floodplain near Golchen, where a saltworks operated to produce salt, including for the monasteries of Broda and Dargun. These two subjects tell different sides of the village’s history: the first mention points to its early documentary record, while the saltworks reflects the use of the landscape for salt production. No specific period is associated with the saltworks’ operation.
Church and Grüneberg Organ
Golchen’s church has foundation walls dating from the 15th century and underwent extensive Neo-Gothic renovation and rebuilding. Its history of construction therefore has two distinct aspects: the older building fabric and the later Neo-Gothic alterations. If you would like to visit the church, arrange your visit with the parish office; visits are possible by appointment.
The Grüneberg Organ has a special place. It was built by August Wilhelm Grüneberg and installed around 1830. There are three organs from his workshop in Western Pomerania, and the Golchen organ is the best preserved of the three. The mechanism of a cymbel star is also preserved. The cymbel star itself is currently not operational, so the preserved mechanism and its current functionality should be clearly distinguished. For those interested, the organ brings together the history of its construction and a specific technical detail.
Places of Remembrance and the Climate Forest
The war cemetery in Golchen is located in the historic section of Golchen Cemetery and was inaugurated on 30 April 2010. Another memorial is the war memorial, which commemorates those who fell in the First and Second World Wars. The cemetery and the memorial each represent a separate place of remembrance.
Golchen’s climate forest offers a different focus. Since 2009, new trees have been growing there across 1.6 hectares of mixed woodland. Alongside the historical topics, this represents a more recent development in the landscape. The comparison also highlights different time scales: Golchen’s first documented mention dates back to 1170, while the development of the climate forest has been described since 2009.
Nature Highlights in the Wider Mecklenburg Lake District Destination
The Müritz National Park offers its own nature-focused experience within the wider Mecklenburg Lake District destination. Forests, bogs, lakes and expansive meadows define the park. The Müritz National Park hiking trail explores its landscape types and special features in nine stages: it passes lakes, winds through ancient forests, skirts inland dunes and leads to the source of the Havel. Certified nature and landscape guides offer informative tours there, including guided visits to the UNESCO World Heritage beech forest of Serrahn and tours from the water.
Another nature highlight within the Mecklenburg Lake District is the Damerower Werder Bison Reserve. Visitors can observe bison there. The forest adventure trail features climbing opportunities, an ant house, an exhibition with tactile and visual information boards, and a dendrophone. These attractions add to the wider region’s appeal, while Golchen’s own highlights are its village history, church, places of remembrance and climate forest.
Highlights for Your Stay
When choosing your stay, you can start by deciding what you would like to focus on: Golchen offers historical and church-related interests as well as the climate forest, while the Mecklenburg Lake District broadens the picture with national park landscapes, hiking stages and nature tours. If you plan to visit the church, remember to arrange a visit with the parish office. This lets you plan your trip around your specific interests without conflating local and wider regional attractions.
Discover more destinations: Breesen, Siedenbollentin, Kriesow, Gnevkow, Grischow, Burow, Wildberg, Altentreptow
Go to the wider travel overview: Amt Treptower Tollensewinkel.
